It’s probably been a long time since you heard about the Chevrolet Captiva. You may recognize the name from the Captiva Sport, a fleet-only small crossover that was sold in the United States for a brief time in the early part of the prior decade. Today, the Captiva lives on in the form of a midsize SUV for global markets. It strikes a nice middle ground between the aggressively styled Blazer and the tamer Traverse U.S. consumers are familiar with. Unfortunately, the Captiva probably won’t be coming to our neck of the woods.
Mexico will receive the stylish SUV in the first half of 2021, however. Chevrolet hasn’t announced engine specs or prices for the Mexico-spec Captiva, but the brand notes it will arrive for the 2022 model year. The new Captiva has already been introduced in South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
The story of the current Captiva originates elsewhere. The Captiva is a rebadged Baojun 530, produced in China by the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture. The model went on sale in China in 2018.
The Captiva is available with five or seven seats. It sticks with the essentials, including vinyl seating surfaces, a 60/40-split folding second row, a 50/50-split folding third row, and a panoramic sunroof. For connectivity, there are four USB ports and an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Here in the U.S., buyers can choose between two midsize SUVs: the Blazer, which has room for five, and the larger Traverse, which features a third row and offers seating for up to eight passengers. Fortunately, both SUVs have their positive traits. Both models benefit from a supple ride, and the Blazer is sporty when equipped with the sprightly V-6 engine option. However, we’ve had a few qualms about some of the trim materials in the two models. Plus, the Blazer’s base four-cylinder engine isn’t potent enough for our tastes.
While we may never see the Captiva at American Chevrolet dealerships, we do know Chevy plans to continue expanding its SUV lineup. Look for the new Bolt EUV electric SUV to arrive for the 2022 model year.
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